Car door



c. LUTE CAR DOOR Jan. 21, 193s.

Filed Dec. 18, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. LUTE CAR DOOR Filed Dec. 18, 1953 Jan. 21, 192.6,

Patented Jan. 21, 1936 f UNITED STATES CAR DOOR Carl Lute, Hammond, Ind., assigner, by mesne assignments, to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

Ohio

Application December 18, 1933, Serial No. 702,899

(Cl. 18S-46) 1l Claims.

This invention relates to car doors and is directed primarily to the sliding double door construction of railway house cars utilized for the shipment of automobiles and other bulky lading.

In order to provide for shipment of bulky commodities in railway house cars it is the accepted practice to provide openings of extraordinary width in the sides of said cars to facilitate the loading and unloading of such commodities. To close each of these very wide openings a plurality of doors, usually of the sliding type, is employed, these doors being designated as main and auxiliary doors. The auxiliary door carries a post along its front margin which is provided with latching mechanism adapted to cooperate with keeper members secured to the side plate and oor of the car for locking the auxiliary door in closed position. As at present constructed, these keeper members extend, respectively, downwardly from the side plate and upwardly above the oor so as to encroach upon the clear door opening. The keeper member rising above the floor of the car is particularly objectionable and detrimental to the efficient, economical and rapid loading and unloading of commodities because of its interference with the movement of such commodities and laborers into and-out of the car.

provide latching mechanism for the auxiliary door of a double door construction which shall be lighter in Weight than that now employed and more economical, of simpler design, and which shall eliminate the projection of the lower keeper above the floor of the car.

A further object is the provision of sliding car doors having latching mechanism and keepers therefor which shall be automatically engageable and disengageable and which shall eiiect a savings in weight and provide simplicity of construction overthe mechanism now utilized.

A further object is to provide a sliding car door for railway house cars which is frictionally supported except when being moved between open and closed positions and capable of elevation upon antifriction means for such movement, and which carries a relatively movable latch member automatically engageable with a keeper member secured to the car below said latch member in 'closed position of the door, the latch member being automatically disengaged from saidkeeper in response to the elevation of the door.

A further object is to provide a sliding' car door of the lift type having a post secured to the forward margin thereof and a vertically recipro- It is an object of this invention, therefore, to

corporation of cable locking bolt carried by said post and automatically engageable with the keeper member secured to the car in the closed position of the door, the bolt being releasable from the keeper by the elevation of the door to permit movement thereof, thereby permitting the door to be lowered and to be evenly supported at all positions of said door.

A further object is to provide a lift door for railway house cars and latching means for the uppei1 portion of the door movably mounted upon the car for automatically latching the door in closed position, wherein the latching means is capable of release by the lifting of the door.

Other objects of the invention will become clear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure l is an elevation of a railway house car carrying doors embodying the invention, portions of the car being broken away;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 isa vertical section taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2 Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical section through the side sill and floor of the car, the door being shown in open position; and' Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6 6 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, the numeral l0 designates the side of a railway house car which embodies a side plate ll to which a hood or retaining plate I 2, provided with a downwardly extending flange I3, is secured. The side plate l l, additionally, has secured thereto a header angle I4 provided with a downwardly extending flange i5 disposed inwardly of and in spaced relation tothe flange I3 provided on the hood l2. The underframing of the car includes a side sill Iii of Z-shaped section carrying an angle I'I having an outwardly extending flange I8 which, together with the side sill I6, supports the floor I9 of the car.

The car illustrated is of the automobile type and carries upon each side thereof a plurality of doors 2li and 2i which are adapted to close an opening of extraordinary width provided in each of the sides of said car. As illustrated the door 2t, customarily designated as an auxiliary door, and the door 2|, known as the main door, are preferably formed of metal and comprise metallic panels 22 and 23 provided, respectively, with a plurality of horizontal corrugations 24 and 25. The horizontal corrugations 24 merge at their ends with vertical corrugations 25 and 21 provided in the metallic panel 22 adjacent the edges thereof While the horizontal corrugations 25 merge at their ends with vertical corrugations 28- and 29 formed in the metallic panel 23 of the door 2|. The doors are illustrated in their closed position in Figure 1 of the drawings and in this position may be latched together by means of the device indicated generally by the reference numeral 3D. An opening and closing arrangement 3l may be provided if desired.

The doors illustrated are of the type known as lift doors and in their lowered or normal position these doors are adapted to engage and be frictionally supported through the medium of angle bars 32 upon a track 33 secured to brackets 34 which, in turn, are riveted, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings, to the side sill I. Lift mechanism, indicated generally at 35, is utilized for each of the doors and comprises briefly brackets 36 and 31 within which roller housings 38 carrying rollers 39 are journaled in eccentric relationship. These roller housings are secured for simultaneous operation by means of a connecting bar 45. The lift mechanism further embraces an operating lever 4l connected to one of the roller housings 3S for imparting movement to said roller housings and elevation to the door. Inasmuch as the particular type of lift mechanism illustrated is not herein claimed the foregoing brief description is believed to be sufflcient.

The auxiliary door is customarily provided with a post secured to the forward margin of said door. Accordingly, the auxiliary door 20 has secured to the forward margin thereof a post 42 of substantially `Z-shape in section, by means of a plurality of rivets 43, which are utilized as well to fasten a front stop angle 44 to said door and the metallic post.

Latching mechanism has heretofore been provided for latching the movable post carr'ied by the auxiliary door in the closed position of said door. Such mechanism, however, has heretofore necessitated the use of keeper members which projected a substantial distance above the iloor of the car, interfering seriously with the movement of commodities, trucks and laborers into and out of the car. One example of such mechanism, clearly illustrating the encroachment of the lower keeper member upon the clear door opening, is found in the patent to Tobin, et. al., 1,870,268. The instant invention provides latching mechanism for fastening the movable post to the car in the closed position of the auxiliary door which entirely eliminates the projection of the keeper member for the lower portion of the post.

To this end latching mechanism is secured to the lower portion of the movable post 42, this mechanism embodying preferably a vertically reciprocating latching bolt 45. This bolt is retained upon the movable post by means of a bracket 46, riveted to said post. A keeper member 41, preferably in the form of a casting, is disposed so as to extend downwardly from substantially the plane of the iloor to engage the reciprocating bolt 45 carried by the movable post 42 when the auxiliary door is in its closed or lowered position. The disposition of the latching member and the keeper therefor in the lowered and closed position of the auxiliary door is clearly illustrated in full lines in Figure 4 of the drawings. It will be apparent from this ligure of the drawings that all encroachment of the keeper member upon the clear door opening at the bottom thereof is avoided.

The engagement and disengagement of the latching bolt 45 with its keeper 41 is entirely automatic, thereby avoiding the need for manual operation. In order to move the auxiliary door from its position shown in Figure 4 of the drawings toward its open position the lift mechanism is actuated and the door raised so that the weight thereof is supported upon the rollers 39. l'nasmuch as the upper portion of the bolt 45 is provided with the shoulders 48 and 48 which lie in overlapping relationship with the retainer bracket 46 a corresponding elevation will be imparted to the bolt so as to disengage said bolt from the keeper 41. This position of the door and the latching bolt is illustrated in dot and dash lines in Figure 4 of the drawings.' It will be apparent that the door may then be readily moved toward its open position.

The arrangement of the latching bolt is such that the door may be lowered so as to frictionally engage the supporting track 33 in any position other than the closed position and at the same time obtain uniform engagement between the angle member 32 secured to the bottom of the door and the supporting track 33. One such position is illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings.

It will be readily apparent that as the door is lowered the lower end of the latching bolt 45 will engage the floor of the car and that as the door and the movable post 42 continue their downward movement the post 42 will move vertically relative to the latching bolt 45, whereby said bolt does not obstruct the proper engagement between the angle member 32 and the track. To permit the relative vertical movement between the latching bolt and the movable door post upon which it is provided the wood filler member 49, customarily provided with the movable post, is stopped short of the bottom of the post as indicated at 5D. As the auxiliary door is moved to its closed position after being elevated upon the rollers 39, the bolt 45 upon reaching its position above the opening 5I provided in the keeper 41, will automatically drop into said opening so as to again latch the bottom portion of the door. The latching bolt 45 adjacent the lower end thereof is provided with a shoulder 52 extending entirely around the bolt and of greater dimension than the opening 5l provided in the keeper. It will be observed from Figure 4 of the drawings that the opening 5| extends from the top through the bottom of the keeper in an outwardly inclined direction in order to prevent the accumulation of foreign matter and clogging of said opening. By the provision of the shoulder 52 upon the latching bolt 45 said shoulder becomes effective to close said opening, thereby preventing foreign matter from being blown up into the car through the opening and cutting off reflected light from entering into the car.

Latching mechanism is preferably provided for latching the upper portion of the post to the car in the closed position of the door. One embodiment of such latching mechanism is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. A supporting member 53 preferably in the form of a casting is secured to the under side of the side plate I I. This casting 53 carries a pivoted latch 54 having an inclined nose portion 55. A shoulder 56 is provided upon the latch 54 and is adapted to engage a shoulder 51 formed on the member 53 in order to limit the counterclockwise movement of the latch 54. An angle member' `58 provided with a horizontally positioned ange 59 directed toward the pivot B of the latch 54 is secured to the upper portion of the movable post 42 as by means of rivets 5l.

As viewed in Figure 3 of the drawings, the auxiliary door moves toward the left in its opening travel upon the track. This iigure, moreover, shows in full lines the relative positions of the latch 54 and the movable post 42 whereby said latch is effective to retain the door against opening movement. When it is desired to move the door toward open position the door is elevateds Inasmuch as the movable post 42 is secured to the door said post is also elevated and during this elevation of the post the latch 54 is swung upwardly about its pivot 5% and the latching engagement thereof with the post is broken. This result is obtained by virtue of the fact that the edge of the horizontally extending flange provided upon the angle member 53 secured to the movable post engages the latch intermediate the ends thereof, The door may then readily be moved toward open position and upon disengagement of the latch from the flange 59 of the angle member 58, said latch will swing downwardly about its pivot 6i? until engagement between the shoulders 55 and 5l provided, respectively, on the latch and the member 53 is reestablished. In the closing movement of the door the horizontal ange 59 will engage the inclined nose 55 of the latch member and automatically elevate said latch, whereby the door may be moved to its closed position and upon lowering thereof said latch will again engage the movable post 42 to prevent its movement toward open position. It

will be apparent, as in the case of the latchng v bolt 45, that engagement and disengagement between the post 42 and the latch 54 occur automatically in response to the elevating and' lowering movements of the door.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. In a railway house car having a door opening in a side thereof, a slidable door mounted upon said side of said car, said door being frictionally supported when in lowered position, means for elevating and supporting said door for antifrctional movement, a latching member secured to said door, said member being capable of movement relative to said door, a keeper secured to said car adapted to receive said member in the closed and lowered position of the door, said keeper being disposed substantially below said door opening, said member being automatically released from said keeper by the elevating movement of said door.

2. In a railway house car having a door opening, the bottom of which is dened by the floor of said car, a plurality of doors including an auxiliary sliding door for closing said opening, said auxiliary door being frictionally supported when in lowered position, means for elevating and supporting said door for antifrictional movement, a post secured to the forward margin of said door in overlapping relationship with said door, a latch member carried by said post, a keeper secured to said car adapted to receive said member to latch the door in closed and lowered position, said keeper extending downwardly from substantially the plane of said floor, said member being automatically released from said keeper in response to the elevation of said door.

3. In a railway house car having a door opening, the bottom of which is defined by the oor of said car, a plurality of doors including an auxiliary sliding door for closing said'openng, a post secured to theV forward margin of said door in overlapping relationship with said floor, a vertically reciprocatable bolt carried by said post, a keeper secured to said car extending downwardly from substantially the plane of said door, a bolt receiving recess provided in said keeper, said recess extending through the bottom of said keeper, said'bolt being automatically received in said recess when said door is moved to closed position and a flange extending aroundy and projecting from said bolt for closing said recess for the purpose set forth.

4. In a railway house car having a door opening, the bottom of said opening being dened by the floor of said car, a plurality of doors including an auxiliary sliding door for closing said opening, a track secured to said car below said door opening, means for frictionally supporting said door upon said track in lowered position, elevating mechanism carried by said door for lifting and supporting the door for antifrictional movement upon said track, a relatively movablelatch carried by and disposed inwardly of said door so as to overlie said floor, a keeper secured to said car in substantially flush relationship with said floor, a latch receiving recess provided in said keeper, said bolt being automatically received in said recess when said door is in closed and 10W- ered position and being released from said keeper in response to the elevation of said door.

5. In a railway house car having a door opening, the bottom of which is dellned by the floor of said car, a plurality of doors including an auxiliary sliding door for closing said opening, said auxiliary door being frictionally supported when in lowered position, means for elevating and supporting said door for antifrictional movement, a post secured to the forward margin of said door in overlapping relationship with said floor, a vertically reciprocatable latch member carried by said' post, a keeper secured to said car adapted to receive said member to latch the door in closed and lowered position, said keeper extending downwardly from substantially the plane of said floor, said member being automatically released from said keeper in response to the elevation o-f said door.

6. In a railway house car having a door opening, the bottom of said opening being dened by the floor of said car, a plurality of doors including an auxiliary sliding door for closing said opening, a track secured to said car below said door opening, means for frictionally supporting said door upon said track in lowered position, elevating mechanism carried by said door for lifting and supporting the door for 'antifrictional movem-ent upon said track, a relatively movable latch carried by and disposed inwardly of said door so as to overlie said floor, a keeper secured to said car in substantially flush relationship with said floor, a latch receiving recess provided in said keeper, said bolt being automatically received in said recess when said door is in closed and lowered position and being released from said keeper in response to the elevation of said door, said bolt receiving recess extending through the bottom of said keeper, said bolt being provided with a projecting flange adapted to be seated upon said keeper and close said recess in the closed and lowered position of said door.

7. In a railway house car, a sliding door, said door being frictionally supported in lowered position and being capable of elevation for sliding movement upon antifriction means, a pivoted latch member carried by said car, said latch member engaging and automatically latching the upper portion of said door when the latter is moved to closed and lowered position, said latch member being releasable from said door in response to the elevation thereof for the purpose set forth.

8. In a railway house car, a plurality of doors including a sliding auxiliary door, said door being frictionally supported in lowered position and being capable of elevation for sliding movement upon antifriction means, a door post secured to the forward margin of said door extending inwardly and transversely of said car, a movable latch secured to a fixed part of said car above said post, said latch engaging and automatically latching the upper portion of said post when said door is in closed and lowered position to prevent opening movement of said door, said latch being released from said post in response to the elevation of said door, whereby said door may be moved to open position.

9. In a railway house car, a plurality of doors including a sliding auxiliary door, said door being frictionally supported in lowered position and beng capable of elevation for sliding movement upon antifriction means, a door post secured to the forward margin of said door extending inwardly and transversely of said car, a pivoted latch secured to a fixed part of said car above said post, means secured to the upper portion of said post, said pivoted latch lying in the path of movement of said means whereby said means will engage and elevate said latch when sai'd door is moved to closed position, said latch automatically latching said post upon lowering of said door to prevent opening movement of said door, said means in the elevation of said door engaging said latch intermediate the ends thereof whereby to release said post for the purpose set forth.

lO. In a railway house car a plurality of doors including a sliding auxiliary door, said door being frictionally supported in lowered position and being capable of elevation for sliding movement upon antifriction means, a door post secured to the forward margin of said door extending inwardly and transversely of said car, movable latch members disposed adjacent to the upper and lower portions of said post and movable relative to said post, said latch members automatically latching said post to fixed parts of said car when the door is in closed and lowered position, said latch members being actuated in response to the elevation of said door to release said post from the car, whereby said door may be moved to open position.

11. In a railway house car, a plurality of doors including a sliding auxiliary door, said door being frictionally supported in lowered position and being capable of elevation for sliding movement upon antifriction means, a door post secured to the forward margin of said door extending inwardly and transversely of said car, a movable latch member disposed adjacent the lower portion of said post in relatively movable relationship to said post, said latch member automatically latching said post to a fixed part of said car when said door is moved to closed and lowered position, said door upon elevation thereof releasing said latch whereby said post is disengaged from said fixed part of the 'car and said door may be moved to open position.

CARL LU'I'E. 

